William Shakespeare ( )

Transcription

1 William Shakespeare ( ) Shakespeare s reputation is world-wide, but very little is known about who he was or how he lived. Information comes from dull documentary records of dates and facts, and from the references in the works of his contemporaries. So we know that he was the third child of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, and was baptized on 26 April 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon. Both his parents came from families of yeomen small landowning farmers. In Warwickshire. His father was a prosperous glover, and a leading member of the little commnunity of Stratford. Owing to his father s wealth and position it is probable that Shakespeare attended university. His education, though not extensive, was adequate. He learnt grammar, logic and rhetoric, on a firm Latin base. At the end of 1576 his father was overtaken by financial difficulties, and the family went through a hard period. William probably helped his father at his trade after living school. There is also a report that he may have worked as an assistant master at the grammar school. In 1582 a licence to marry was issued to William Shakespeare and Anne Hatthaway, and five months later a daughter, Susanna, was baptized. Twins Judith and Hamnet were born and baptized in Nothing certain is know about Shakespeare s experiences in the years between 1585 and It is possible that he joined one of the wandering troupes of professional actors who travelled under the patronage of important noblemen and performed almost yearly in Stratford. In 1587 at least five companies passed through Stratford on a route that ultimately took them to London, a town dazzling with the splendour of the English Renaissance. There is evidence of his living in London in 1592, when Robert Greene wrote a letter to three of his friends, lamenting that uneducated dramatists were more successful in the theatre than university men like himself. There are several records of Shakespeare s name in the years that followed, including the mention for the publication of a poem, Venus and Adonis, in This year saw the closing of the theatres owing to the plague, and in 1594 Shakespeare published his second poem, The Rape of Lucrece. It is probable tht in the years that followed he joined a theatrical company called Lord Chamberlain s Men, and the link continued as long as he worked for the theatre saw Hamnet s death. The loss of his child must have affected Shakespeare deeply; in a work written at that time, King John, a character says: (1)... I have heard you say That we shall see and know our friends in heaven. If that be true, I shall see my boy again. (...) 1. from King John, Act III, Scene IV. Young Prince Arthur has been imprisoned and his mother, foreboding his murder, already mourns him as if he was dead. Grief fills the room up of my absent child, Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me, Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, Remembers me of all his gracious parts, Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form. (...) O Lord! My boy, my Arthur, my fair son! My life, my joy, my food, my all the world! These touching words are Shakespeare s own words; the sorrow here expressed is his own sorrow for Hamnet s death. In the same year the poet s father obtained a coat of arms, and a year later William bought a house in Stratford. Documents also mention the purchase of several acres of land and a cottage in is the year of publication of the Sonnets, the composition of which probably started in the early 1590s. In 1612 Shakespeare was involved as a witness in a domestic lawsuit, and he signed the documents concerning his interrogatories. 81

2 quarto: in quarto, a volume made up of sheets of paper folded twice. folio: in folio, a volume made up of sheets of paper folded once; a volume of the largest size saw the execution of his will, each sheet of which he signed, and in the same year the poet died and was buried in Stratford Parish Church on 25 April. Shakespeare s dramatic production covered a period of about twenty years, from 1591 to No manuscripts of his plays exist. Some unauthorized editions appeared in quarto form during his life, but the first complete edition of his works is universally considered the First Folio of This edition does not contain any indication as to the dates of composition, and the only scanty evidence of chronology comes from records of performances; besides, some guesses can be attempted on the basis of the editions issued during his lifetime or immediately after his death, and critics do not always agree on such dates Henry VI, Part 2 History Henry VI, Part Henry VI, Part Richard III History The Comedy of Errors Comedy Titus Andronicus Tragedy The Taming of the Shrew Comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona Comedy Love s Labour s Lost Comedy Romeo and Juliet Tragedy Richard II History A Midsummer Night s Dream Comedy King John History The Merchant of Venice Comedy Henry IV, Part 1 History Henry IV, Part Much Ado about Nothing Comedy Henry V History Julius Caesar Tragedy As You Like It Comedy Twelfth Night Comedy Hamlet Tragedy The Merry Wives of Windsor Comedy Troilus and Cressida Problem Play All s Well That Ends Well Problem Play Measure for Measure Problem Play Othello Tragedy King Lear Tragedy Macbeth Tragedy Antony and Cleopatra Tragedy Coriolanus Tragedy Timon of Athens Tragedy Pericles Tragedy Cymbeline Romance The Winter s Tale Romance The Tempest Romance Henry VIII History The Two Noble Kinsmen Romance (written by John Fletcher with Shakespeare s collaboration) 82

3 ( ) The king of Denmark Hamlet s father- has died suddenly in tragic circumstances; his brother Claudius has succeeded him and married his widow, Gertrude, before two months have gone by. The court is assembled; the new king talks to various people, receives suits, then he addresses Hamlet. PRELIMINARY TASK Consider Hamlet s situation. What do you expect his state of mind to be? And his attitude to the new king? cousin: kinsman, relative. kin: kinsman. kind: kinsman; kind also emphasixes the mutual feeling that unites members of the same family. thine: (arch.) your. Denmark: the king of Denmark. vailed: (arch.) lowered. ay: yes. of forc d breath: emitted with force. haviour: expression. trappings: exterior ornaments. woe: sorrow, grief. TEXT A (KING): But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son HAMLET: A little more than kin, and less than kind. KING: How is it that the clouds still hang on you? HAMLET: Not so, my lord, I am too much in the sun. QUEEN: Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, 5 and let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not for ever with thy vailed lids Seek for thy noble father in the dust. Thou know st tis common: all that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity. 10 HAMLET: Ay, madam, it is common. QUEEN: If it be, Why seems it so particular with thee? HAMLET: Seems, madam? Nay, it is. I know not seems. Tis not alome my inky cloak, good mother, 15 Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forc d breath. No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected haviour of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, 20 That can denote me truly. These indeed seem, For they are actions that a man might play; But I have that within which passes show, These but the trappings and the suits of woe. (from Act I, Scene II) TASKS 1. Read the text and focus on Hamlet s lines. Find the metaphor describing Hamlet s mood, and explain it in your own words. Is he please to be called son? How would you define his attitude to Claudius? 83

4 2. Focus on the introduction, consider what you have gathered so far, and discuss what particular circumstance besides his father s death must have affected Hamlet so deeply. 3. In his second answer to the queen, Hamlet mentions the trappings and the suits of woe, i.e. the exterior manifestations of sorrow, like black clothes and sad behaviour. He states that they cannot denote him truly because they are actions that a man might perform. What really counts is what he feels. All this points to a major contrast: seem - appearance - 4. Similarly, his first two answers (lines 2 and 4) are more profound than they first appear. They contain two puns: kin / kind and in the sun (sun / son). Explain their meanings and discuss what aspect of Hamlet s personality is here revealed. More kin than kind: More than a relative (= kin) because but not loving (= kind) because. I am too much in the sun: a) There are no clouds over me. b) I have now become your son, and this is too much for me. 5. Highlight the metaphors and discuss their contribution to the interpretation of meaning. 6. In Elizabethan times the expression in the sun with reference to a sovereign probably acquired particular relevance. Refer to the section The English Renaissance and state why. 84

5 Some officers have seen a strange apparition while they were on their night watch. The apparition resembled the dead king, so they inform Hamlet, who immediately resolves to watch that very night and speak to the spirit, if it appears again. And so it happens. PRELIMINARY TASKS What is a ghost normally associated with? Where may it come from, Heaven or Hell? Why? Do you think that in special circumstances ghosts really appear, or are they just seen by certain people? Can t they rather be the projection of these people s fears, or wishes, or remorse? Make hypotheses on the apparition in Hamlet: What do you think it can be? whither wilt thou: (arch.) where will you. When the ghost TEXT B appeared, he did not say a single word, Enter GHOST and HAMLET. but beckoned Hamlet to follow him to an HAMLET: Whither wilt thou lead me? Speak, I ll go no further. isolated place. GHOST: Mark me. render up: present. HAMLET: I will. 1 st : GHOST: My hour is almost come. thy: (arch.) your. When I to sulph rous and tormenting flames unfold: reveal. Must render up myself. bound: prepared. HAMLET: Alas, poor ghost. 2 nd : GHOST: Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing. 5 To what I shall unfold. doom d: doomed: condemned HAMLET: Speak, I am bound to hear. 3 rd : but that I am forbid: GHOST: So art thou to revenge when thou shalt hear. if I were not HAMLET: What? 4th: forbidden. GHOST: I am thy father s spirit, harrow up: wound, Doom d for a certain term to walk the night, 10 fill with anguish. And for the day confin d to fast in fires, knotted and combined locks: tied up and wound together hair. an: (arch.) on. quills: spines. fretful porpentine: bad-tempered porcupine. eternal blazon: revelation of things belonging to eternity. thou didst: (arch.) Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purg d away. But that I am forbid To tell the secrets of my prison-house, I could a tale unfold whose lightest word 15 Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, Make thy two eyes like stars start from their spheres, Thy knotted and combined locks to part, And each particular hair to stand an end Like quills upon the fretful porpentine. 20 But this eternal blazon must not be To ears of flesh and blood. List, list, O list! If thou didst ever thy dear father love HAMLET: O God! 5th: you did. GHOST: Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. 25 foul: (here) HAMLET: Murder! 6 th : abominable, cruel, dirty. GHOST: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange and unnatural. Haste me know t: let HAMLET: Haste me to know t that I with wings as swift me know it quickly. As meditation or the thoughts of love 30 May sweep to my revenge. 7 th : 85

6 apt: clever and quick. GHOST: I find thee apt. duller shouldst thou And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed be: (arch.) you That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf, should be more Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear. sluggish, inert. Lethe: mythological river producing forgetfulness wouldst thou not stir: (arch.) if you were not moved. forged process: invented account. rankly: shamelessly witchcraft: magic practice. lust: uncontrolled sexual desire. vow: solemn, holy promise. wretch: poor, miserable person. to: when compared to lewdness: impurity, licentiousness. prey on garbage: find its nourishment in Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, 35 A serpent stung me so the whole ear of Denmark is by a forged process of my death Rankly abus d but know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father s life Now wears his crown. 40 HAMLET: O my prophetic soul! My uncle! 8 th : GHOST: Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts O wicked wit, and gifts that have the power So to seduce! won to his shameful lust 45 The will of my most seeming virtuous queen. O Hamlet, what a falling off was there, From me, whose love was of that dignity That it went hand in hand even with the vow I made to her in marriage, and to decline 50 Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor To those of mine. But virtue, as it never will be mov d, Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven, So lust, though to a radiant angel link d, 55 Will sate itself in a celestial bed And prey on garbage. But soft, methinks I scent the morning air: Brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard, filth, rubbish. My custom always of the afternoon, 60 stole: came silently. Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole hebenon: poison With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, derived from a plant. And in the porches of my ears did pour leperous: producing The leperous distilment, whose effect effects like those of Holds such an enmity with blood of man 65 leprosy. That swift as quicksilver it courses through quicksilver: mercury. doth: (arch.) does. posset: (here) coagulate tetter: skin eruption. lazar-like: leper-like. unhousel d, disappointed, unanel d: without having received the eucharist, the preparation (i.e. absolution), the extreme unction. sent to my account: sent to answer for my deeds, to be judged. taint not: do not corrupt, do not stain. contrive: devise. aught: (arch.) anything. The natural gates and alleys of the body, And with a sudden vigour it doth posset And curd, like eager droppings into milk, The thin and wholesome blood. So did it mine, 70 And a most instant tetter bark d about Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust All my smooth body. Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother s hand Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatch d 75 Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin, Unhousel d, disappointed, unanel d No reck ning made, but sent to my account With all my imperfections on my head. O horrible! O horrible! most horrible! 80 If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not, Let not the royal bed of Denmark be A couch for luxury and damned incest. But howsomever thou pursuest this act, Taint not thy mind nor let thy soul contrive 85 Against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven, And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once: The glow-worm shows the matin to be near And gins to pale his uneffectual fire. 90 Adieu, adieu, adieu. Remember me. (Exit) (from Act I, Scene V) 86

7 TASKS 1. The following notes form the outline of the ghost s tale; they are in jumbled order. Arrange them according to the sequence they have in the text. [ ] He mentions the person who killed him. [ ] The ghost hints at the horrors of his punishment. [ ] He mentions the consequences of his murder. [ ] He begs Hamlet to listen carefully. [ ] He gives details of his murder. [ ] He reveals that he did not die naturally, but was murdered. [ ] He asks to be revenged. [ ] He reveals his identity. [ ] He invites Hamlet to convince his mother to break the link with Claudius. [ ] He mentions the guilty relationship between Claudius and the queen. 2. Focus on Hamlet s answers, and define the attitude expressed in each of them; you can use these items and write each next to the corresponding line/s (they are numbered for you). [ pity] [ surprise ] [determination to hear] [emotion] [amazement] [confirmation of his suspicion] [wish for revenge] [agreement] 3. Write the name of the murderer of Hamlet s father, and point out the expression proving that Hamlet unconsciously suspected this person. Name: Expression: Now list the adjectives with which the ghost defines his murder, and explain why it deserves such particular execration. 4. Write in one sentence how the crime was committed. 5. Besides the murder, another revelation can be inferred from the ghost s tale: focus on lines and state in your own words what fact is hinted at here. William Blake Hamlet and His Father s Ghost (1806) 87

8 6. Do you think the ghost is reliable? Discuss with your partner, then list the arguments in favour and those against. RELIABLE UNRELIABLE Henry Fuseli, Ghost 7. For three times the ghost mentions the fact that he is allowed to appear only at night: see lines 10-11, 58-59, Why is this detail reported? What is traditionally associated with the night? Eugéne Delacroix, Hamlet sees the Ghost of His Father 8. A very effective metaphor is expressed in lines It brilliantly compresses complex meanings in a single sentence. What does the image of the snake convey? Point out other metaphors or similes- that have impressed you. Focus on the adjectives, the repetitions and any other stylistic devices, and highlight those that you consider particularly effective. 9. Several themes emerge from this text: death, ambition, revenge, sin and expiation, fratricide, lust, the supernatural. Find the elements that point to each of them. One has already been indicated. death = ghost; report of the king s assassination. ambition = revenge = sin and expiation = fratricide = lust = Which of these themes particularly appealed to an Elizabethan audience? Find reference in the section The Elizabethan Drama and give reasons for your answer. 88

9 John Gielgud as Hamlet s father s Ghost. This scene is also an example of Shakespeare s mastery in stagecraft. It not only involves the public emotionally the crime reported by the victim is very appealing, and the apparition of the ghost creates emotion and fear but it brilliantly serves other purposes. The ghost s tale allows the dramatist to inform the audience of a previous event. What elese did Shakespeare have at his disposal for this purpose? He could lethamlet overhear a soliloquy of Claudius, in which he confessed his crime, or maybe a compromising dialogue betweeb Claudius and an accomplice. or, the murder might have been witnessed by someone who then decided to reveal things. But in all these cases the audience and Hamlet- would be certain of Claudius s guilt, thus eliminating doubts and removing all interest for the audience. Hamlet would rush to his revenge, and the tragedy would be a standard revenge play. With this stratagem a touch of Shakespeare s genius- all the play revolves around the problem posed by the legitimacy of Hamlet s revenge, the reliability of the ghost s tale, and Hamlet s necessity to prove the king s guilt. It is this ambiguity that gives the play much of its significance and intrigues the public, called to interpret things, make hypotheses, side with one or the other of the characters In short, the theatre carries out one of its functions. 10. Finally consider the impact of this revelation on Hamlet, and predict the possible development of his actions. Will he keep in line with the tradition of the revenge plays? Here are some possibilities. Discuss them, and choose what you consider the most convincing. Add more if you wish. Hamlet believes the ghost s tale, but hesitates to take action. Hamlet unconditionally believes the ghost s tale and rushes to his revenge. On second thoughts, with the help of reason and calm, Hamlet decides that the ghost is not reliable. Hamlet is shocked: the impact of the revelation is too much for him, and his nervous system breaks down. Hamlet commits suicide out of despair. Hamlet and the Ghost Hamlet is inclined to believe the ghost s tale, but considers the possibility that the ghost is a creature of the devil, so he wants some evidence of Claudiu s guilt. After the ghost s revelation Hamlet s behaviour begins to be very strange, and many people at court suspect this derives from his love for Ophelia, the gentle daughter of Polonius, Lord Chamberlain. In obedience to her father and brother who oppose her relationship with Hamlet out of the conviction that he does not really love her- Ophelia has sent back his letters and has refused to see him. Hamlet meets Polonius. TEXT C beseech: implore. fishmonger: literally, one who sells fish. It may also mean a seller of women s chastity, thus suggesting that Polonius makes a market of his daughter. QUEEN: But look where sadly the poor wretch comes reading. POLONIUS: Away, I do beseech you both, away. I ll board him presently. O give me leave. Exeunt King and Queen [and Attendants]. How does my good Lord Hamlet? HAMLET: Well, God-a-mercy. 5 POLONIUS: Do you know me, my lord? HAMLET: Excellent well, you are a fishmonger. POLONIUS: Not I, my lord. HAMLET: Then I would you were so honest a man. POLONIUS: Honest, my lord? 10 HAMLET: Ay sir. To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand. POLONIUS: That s very true, my lord. 89

10 maggots: worms, HAMLET: For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good larvae. kissing carrion Have you a daughter? 15 carrion: dead, rotting POLONIUS: I have, my lord. flesh. HAMLET: Let her not walk i th sun. Conception is a blessing, but Conception: two as your daughter mau conceive friend, look to t. meanings: forming POLONIUS [aside]: How say you by that? Still harping on my daughter. ideas in the mind, Yet he knew me not at first; a said I was a fishmonger. A is far gone. And and also becoming truly in my youth I suffered much extremity for love, very near this. I ll pregnant. So this is a speak to him again. what do you read, my lord? 20 pun. HAMLET: Words, words, words. How that?: What POLONIUS: What is the matter, my lord? do you say about HAMLET: Between who? 25 that? This is said POLONIUS: I mean the matter that you read, my lord. aside, as a sort of comment to the HAMLET: Slanders, sir. For the satirical rogue says here that old men audience. have grey beards, that their faces are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick harping on: talking amber and plum-tree-gum, and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, persistenly about. together with most weak hams all which, sir, though I most powerfully 30 and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down. a: he. For yourself, sir, shall grow old as I am if like a crab you could go A is far gone: He is backward. far gone. Words, words, words: this has become a famous expression, often used to indicate something worthless. rogue: rascal, dishonest fellow. pregnant: (here) full of meaning. a happiness on: a fortune that madness often meets, which does not come equally well from a mind that reasons well (Remember Don Quijote). that I withal: from which I will separate more willingly (the double negative was common). POLONIUS [aside]: Though this be madness, yet there is method in t. Will you walk out of the air, my lord? 35 HAMLET: Into my grave? POLONIUS: Indeed, that s out of the air. [aside] How pregnant sometimes his replies are a happiness that often madness hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of. I will leave him and suddenly contrive the means of meeting between him and my 40 daughter. -My Lord, I will take my leave of you. HAMLET: You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will not more willingly part withal except my life. POLONIUS: Fare you well, my lord. HAMLET: These tedious old fools. (from Act II, Scene II). TASKS 1. Read the text and point out the ideas that seems to obsess Hamlet s mind. 2. There are two references to death, the second of which is emphasized by a beautiful triple repetition. Find them, and state if Hamlet s attitude to death is positive or negative. 3. Focus on Hamlet s answers to Polonius, and draw your own conclusions about the prince. Is he really mad? Is he only feigning madness? How do you explain his dislike of Polonius? List the circumstances which have added up to affect his balance. What opinion of women s constancy can he have, in this period of his life? If he is only pretending to be mad, what can his purpose be? 90

11 The play The Murder of Gonzago is based on the murder of the duke of Urbino. It presents similarities with the situation in Hamlet, because the queen marries the murderer of her husband. The king and the queen are not sure that rejected love is the cause of Hamlet s madness, and the king summons to court two young courtiers, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to spy on him. The two young men have been brought up with Hamlet, and may be able to discover the true cause of his behaviour. Meanwhile a travelling company of players arrive at the castle: Hamlet warmly welcomes them, and asks them to say a few lines for him. He himself suggests an extract from a play dealing with ancient Greece, and precisely the part where Pyrrhus killed Priam to avenge his father, Achilles, while Hecuba watches the scene in anguish. Hamlet is profoundly moved by the performance of the first player, and asks him to act a play called The Murder of Gonzago the day after, inserting a short passage that he himself will write. PRELIMINARY TASK Go back to your prediction in task 10, text B, and read the text until you find evidence to decide if Hamlet has carried out his revenge, or not. Underline the expressions that are a clue to your answer. TEXT D rogue: tramp, vagabond. but: only. a fiction: an imagined situation. his own conceit: something existing only in his mind. function: activity. had he: if he had. cue: stimulus, motivation. cleave: (fig) split, break. appal: shock, fill with horror. the free: those who are not guilty (i.e. free from guilt) confound: cast into confusion. muddy-mettled rascal: a dishonest man, a scoundrel, whose vigour is like mud. peak: pine away, languish. John-a-dreams: name jokingly given to inactive, absentminded people. defeat: ruin, destruction. Now I am alone. O what a rogue and peasant slave am I! Is it not monstrous that this player here, But in a fiction, in a dream of passion, Could force his soul so to his own conceit 5 That from her working all his visage wann d, Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect, A broken voice, and his whole function suiting With forms to his conceit? And all for nothing! For Hecuba! 10 What s Hecuba to him, or he to her, That he should weep for her? What would he do Had he the motive and the cue for passion That I have? He would drown the stage with tears, And cleave the general ear with horrid speech, 15 Make mad the guilty and appal the free, Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed The very faculties of eyes and ears. Yet I, A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak 20 Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, And can say nothing no, not for a king, Upon whose property and most dear life A damn d defeat was made. Am I a coward? 91

12 pate: head. Who calls me villain, breaks my pate across, 25 tweaks: sharply, Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face, pinches. Tweaks me by the nose, gives me the lie i th throat swounds: (arch.) As deep as to the lungs who does me this? oath, deriving rom by God s wounds, Ha! Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be 30 with reference to Christ on the Cross. it cannot be but: the But I am pigeon-liver d and lack gall To make oppression bitter, or ere this I should ha fatted all the region kites only reason can be With this slave s offal. Bloody, bawdy villain! that. Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain! 35 pigeon-livere d: Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, popular belief That I, the son of a dear father murder d, prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, considered pigeons Must like a whore unpack my heart with words extremely mild And fall a-cursing like a very drab, 40 animals, whose liver A scullion! Fie upon t! Foh! contained no gall. About, my brains. Hum I have heard gall: fluid substance That guilty creatures sitting at a play produced by liver; have, by the very cunning of the scene, traditionally gall is Been struck so to the soul that presently 45 associated with They have proclaim d their malefactions. resentment, asperity, For murder, thought it have no tongue, will speak bitterness. With most miraculous organ. I ll have these players kites: large birds of Play something like the murder of my father prey. Before mine uncle. I ll observe his looks; 50 offal: internal parts I ll tent him to the quick. I a do blench, of animals (heart, liver, etc.). I know my course. The spirit that I have seen may be a devil, and the devil hath power bawdy: obscene. T assume a pleasing shape, yea, and perhaps, lecherous: lustful. Out of my weakness and my melancholy, 55 kindless: lacking natural affection for members of his family. As he is very potent with such spirits, Abuses me to damn me. I ll have grounds More relative than this. The play s the thing Wherein I ll catch the conscience of the King. [Exit] whore: prostitute. Drab: prostitute. scullion: (arch.) person who washes dishes. fie: shame. TASKS (from Act II, Scene II) cunning: skill. tent him to the quick: (fig) investigate into him thoroughly. If a do blench: (read: if he but blench) if he only draws back in fear. 1. The first part of this soliloquy is a violent outburst of anger. Read from line 1 to line 35 and state who/what has inspired it. 2. When his anger abates and Hamlet is again in rational control of feelings, he reproaches himself ( what an ass am I! ) for giving vent to his bitterness instead of planning effective action (lines 36-41). Then he works out a scheme. Read the final part of the soliloquy (lines 42-59) and state what his scheme consists of. 3. This passage is built on a pun. Think about the two main meanings of the verb to act (1: to perform or represent a part; 2: to take action) and explain the pun. The parallel between the actor and Hamlet, between real passion and apparent or performed - passion, leads to the contrast theatre-life, fiction-reality, and hence to the dramatic contrast which has already been presented in text A, and which Hamlet perceives so keenly. What contrast is it? 92

13 4. Focus on the last couplet, and in particular on the expression catch the conscience. In a broader way, this couplet could indicate that the theatre has also the function of awakening conscience. But the theatre is not only this. What is the theatre? What is its role in society? Discuss with your neighbour, and jot down as many ideas as you can think of. Then in groups of four compare your lists, and choose the definitions or functions of the theatre that you consider of primary importance. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell the king that they have not been able to gather from Hamlet the reasons of his state. Therefore Claudius and Polonius plan a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia, and hide behind an arras to listen and find out if his madness has been caused by rejected love. Hamlet enters, and at first does not see Ophelia. PRELIMINARY TASK This is perhaps the best known soliloquy that Shakespeare wrote. Look up in the Dossier Drama the definition of soliloquy; consider the examples that you have already read, and think of the possible reasons why an author chooses the soliloquy rather than the dialogue; then state the function/s of this stage device. Tick the answer/s that you consider suitable; add more if you wish. It represents amoment of lyrical beauty in the drama. slings: sling; strap used for throwing stones with force. that flesh is heir to: that are part of human life. consummation: end, goal, conclusion. rub: hindrance, obstacle. shuffled off: moved off, got rid of. coil: spiral loops; whirlwind; whirlpool; turmoil; (here) the human body, that keeps the soul imprisoned and linked to the earth; the troubles and responsibilities of everyday life. makes calamity of so long life: gives calamity such long duration. TEXT D It allows the audience to have access to the thoughts and feelings of a character. It allows the main actor to perform alone and show his value. No other character must know the facts or ideas expressed. It prepares the audience for successive developments. Enter Hamlet HAMLET: To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of trouble And by opposing end them. To die to sleep, 5 No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to: tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish d. To die, to sleep; To sleep, perchance to dream ay, there s the rub: 10 For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must five us pause there s the respect That makes calamity of so long life. 93

14 pangs: pang: sharp pain. spurns: comtemptuous rejections. his quietus make: (law) have his quittance, or statement that he is free from his debt. bodkin: weapon like a stiletto. born: (arch.) limit, boundary. but that dread did not puzzle: if the dread did not puzzle. hue: colour (the complexion of resolute people is red). pitch: height. turn awry: bend, turn from straight. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, 15 Th oppressor s wrong, the proud man s contumely, The pangs of dispriz d love, the law s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make 20 With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover d country, from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will, 25 And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o er with the pale cast of thought, 30 And enterprises of great pitch and moment With this regard their currents turn awry And lose the name of action. (from Act III, Scene I) TASKS 1. The following is the outline of Hamlet s thought. Read it, then read the soliloquy and write each item of the list next to the line/s that correspond to it. statement of alternative passive acceptance of evils versus fight against them death as a solution negative aspect of death reason for bearing adversity rhetorical question list of trials and tribulations suicide as an escape repetition of rhetorical question fear of the after-death consciousness produces cowardice loss of determination hinders action 94

15 2. In posing his question Hamlet uses the metaphors to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and to take arms against a sea of troubles. What are they associated with? Consider the expression a sea of troubles. Think of the overwhelming and uncontrollable power of the sea, and state the significance of taking arms against the sea. 3. Focus on lines 5-9. What is death associated with? Define Hamlet s attitude to death, and state if it contradicts or confirms the opinion he has already expressed. A sort of syllogism To die, to sleep; To sleep, perchance to dream introduces the consideration on dreams. Read carefully lines 10-13, and explain what dreams represent. 4. When referring to the human body, Hamlet uses the expression mortal coil. Focus on the various meaning of coil, and state what he wants to emphasize with the metaphor shuffled off this mortal coil. These considerations place Hamlet in the tradition of mediaeval philosophy religion asceticism the Renaissance stoicism Platonism Look up for information, discuss with the class and your teacher, then tick as you consider appropriate. 5. With a rhetorical question who would bear Hamlet lists the troubles that afflict mankind. Read them carefully, and state how many of them still hold today. The meaning of this question is: Who would bear all the troubles of life when he could release himself with a dagger? What idea is conveyed by the reference to arms? 6. The concept of the total mystery of what happens after death, already present in line 11, is emphasized later on through a very effective metaphor. Find it and write it down below. Then, comment on its meaning. Where in the play have you found a hint at the horrors that can lie in wait for us after death? 95

16 7. The soliloquy ends with the acknowledgement of human incapacity to make resolutions and pass to action. Man does not so much choose, in life, but passively accepts what happens for fear of facing something worse. The motive of thought versus action is very important in Shakespeare. Discuss with the class and your teacher, and point out another moment in the play where Hamlet deprecates lack of action. Note the imagery which refers to manifestations of health conditions (lines 29-30). What is associated with red complexion? And what renders man pale and sick? 8. This soliloquy is built on considerations on the opposites of life and death, and balances a double attitude to each: longing for death, but fear of wish to escape from but ultimate acceptance. How would you define Hamlet s vision of suicide? Do you think it is in line with traditional opinion? 9. Work in groups. Imagine that you direct Hamlet (film or play). Give instructions for this scene as regards:. the setting (i.e. where is Hamlet when he is making this speech?) (ex.: in a hall, in a garden, in his closet ). Hamlet s movements/what Hamlet does during his speech (ex. He walks up and down, he sits still, at first he is lying down, then, he does not utter words, but his voice is heard ). sound effects (ex.: background music, sound of the waves, sound of the wind ). special technological devices in the case of the film (ex.: flash-backs of the ghost, of Ophelia rejecting him ) What critics say The Shakespearean soliloquy, which reaches its maturity in Hamlet, is not merely an expansion of the conventional aside or a simple speaking aloud of a coherent stream of thought. It is a poetic rendering of a character s complete mental and emotional state at a critical point in his development, drawing on all the resources of imagery and rhythmic movement for its total expression. For this is poetic drama, not realistica drama, and the recurrence of related images, the rise and fall of certain rhythms, the sounding of certain overtones of meaning and suggestion, are as important in building up the total significance of the play as the mere sequence of events or paraphrasable content of the speeches. Containing something of the larger dimensions of life within the limiting formality of art, Hamlet, perhaps more than any other of Shakespeare s stragedies, lends itself to a variety of interpretations. Hamlet is both the ideal Renaissance prince and the conventional malcontent, the traditional avenger and the sensitive 96

17 idealist in a brutal world, and other things besides. And, in lesser degree, the same multiple description can be given of the other characters. The play is not, however, simply a series of portraits; the action is what gives it shape and primary meaning, and it is a mistake to remove the characters from the action and speculate about them as though they are characters in a psychologist s case-book (though the fact the critics have been tempted to do this is surely a tribute to Shakespeare s dramatic skill). Of the many meanings that can be extracted from the action of Hamlet, perhaps the most tragic, and the one which fits in best with what appears to be Shakespeare s view of the essential tragedy of human life at this time, is that here is a presentation of the paradox of guilt and justice. Justice demands appropriate action where a crime has been committed, but in fact no action is ever appropriate. (from D. Daiches, A Critical History of English Literature, Secker & Warburg, 1971) Each of the plays is so made that it can appeal to different audiences at different levels of intelligence. Hamlet is a story of murder, suicide, madness, to those who call for melodrama, but for others it is a most subtle analysis of character, and a play in which verse is used with great skill. Hamlet, the earliest of the great tragedies, is the most self-conscious. The renaissance atmosphere of art, ostentation, learning, and crime, governs a play in which the central character is himself a renaissance scholar-prince, clever, melancholic, introspective. Like a character in life itself, Hamlet may not be capable of full interpretation, though it is clear that through him Shakespeare exploored the whole problem of action and the reflective mind. (from I. Evans, A Short History of English Literature, Penguin, 1971). This is how the play develops: The players perform the scene of the murder of Hamlet s father before the court, and Hamlet obtains the proof of his uncle s guilt, but at the expense of revealing his own knowledge of it: the king is not only upset, but also alarmed, and will soon take action against him. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell Hamlet that the queen wishes to see him, and take the opportunity to ask him the cause of his mental disorder. Hamlet mocks their attempt to find out his secret (and solve the riddle of his personality). Then he goes to talk to the queen, and Polonius decides to hide behind an arras and listen to the conversation. Claudius is left alone; for a moment he feels remorse for the crime he has committed and tries to pray. Hamlet arrives and draws his sword to kill him. But killing Claudius when he is praying could mean sending him to Heaven; if Hamlet wants to perform a true revenge he must wait and kill Claudius when he is in a state of sin. Hamlet goes to his mother s room, and once again gives evidence of his quick and harsh spirit: HAMLET: Now, mother, what s the matter. QUEEN: Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended. HAMLET: Mother, you have my father much offended. Hamlet then tries to get the queen to understand what wrong she has done, but she feels threatened and shouts for help. Polonius in his turn is frightened and shouts. At this Hamlet, thinking that the king is behind the arras, instantly plunges his sword through the arras and kills Polonius. In the course of the dramatic discussion that follows, the ghost appears again and reminds Hamlet of his purpose. But he is visible to the prince only. The queen cannot see or hear him, and believes that her son has a hallucination. This stage stratagem is very effective because it poses several questions: 1) Who is right, Hamlet who sees the ghost, or the queen who sees her son speaking to the air? 2) Does the ghost choose to be visible only to Hamlet? And why not to the queen who was his legitimate wife? Is it because she has not been faithful to him? Or is it because the ghost does not want to frighten her? 3) Does Hamlet only believe that he sees a ghost, because his reason has nearly been overturned by the tragic events? 97

18 Here is what an established critic has written on this scene. This remarkable scene the only one in which we see the Hamlet family together, father, mother, and son- has a strange kind of pathos, with the queen unable because of her guilt to see her husband s spirit so that the ghost, after a vain effort to reestablish the family unit, as it were, departs in silence forever. (from D. Daiches, A Critical History of English Literature, Secker & Warburg, 1971) Claudius realizes that Hamlet intended to murder him and not Polonius, and hastens to remove him from the court: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will take him to England and here, following the king s instructions, he will be murdered. However, pirates attack the ship and Hamlet can thus return to Denmark. Meanwhile Ophelia becomes insane and dies, falling into a brook, and Laertes, her brother, is determined to avenge her death and that of Polonius. A duel is organized between Hamlet and Laertes; the latter, at the suggestion of the king, uses a foil with a poisoned tip and kills Hamlet who, however, has mortally wounded both Laertes and the king. Meanwhile the queen drinks a cup of poisoned wine, that Claudius had prepared for Hamlet. Fortinbras, prince of Norway, will succeed to the throne of Denmark. CONCLUDING TASKS 1. Point out the main features of the Elizabethan tragedy. How does Hamlet compare to it? It is commonly agreed that Hamlet is not in line with the standard treatment of revenge. Discuss this point. 2. How do you explain the immense success of this play, which is regularly performed in theatres of all the world, and also the subject of numerous films? 98